Reading list to get you in the mood

During the course of a deployment on a fishing vessel, particularly on longer voyages, I can find plenty of time to read. My natural inclination is to read about the ocean; whether it be fact or fiction. Here is some of the book I suggest:

• "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" by Nathaniel Philbrick. This is the true story of a Nantucket whaleship rammed and sunk by a whale 3,000 miles off the coast of Chile and the subsequent survival at sea by the crew. The story was the inspiration for Moby Dick. Gritty story of at sea survival in the 1800's complete with cannibalism.
• "Moby Dick" by Herman Meville. A classic every person who appreciates literature and/or the ocean should read.
• "Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea" by Steven Callahan. Another survival story about a man traveling solo across the Atlantic and his boat is struck by a whale. He had to abandon ship and float across the ocean in a rubber raft ending up in the Caribbean. Steven shows how resourceful he is by using everything at his disposal to survive.
• "South: The Story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 Expedition" by Sir Ernest Shackleton. The amazing story of survival in the Antarctic by a failed expedition to reach the south pole. The most amazing part is that no one died.
• "The Empty Ocean" by Richard Ellis. Bare bones facts about the depletion of marine species by man's unquenchable thirst for resources. A superbly researched book with lots of great facts but the writing was a little dry.
• "The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean" by Trevor Corson. This is an entertaining non-fiction book that delves into the world of lobster fishing in the Northeastern U.S. And the sex life of the lobster is examined with detail and humor.
• "Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food" by Paul Greenburg. This book examines the events that lead to the current state of wild and farmed fish. He leans more towards a farmed future. The take away message is that suitable species need to be found to farm instead of popular ones on the market.
• "South Seas Tales" by Jack London. A series of short stories set in the South Pacific. A entertaining mix full of colorful characters from every walk of life.
• "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. A fictional at sea survival story where a young boy shares his boat and food with a tiger whom he has a deep connection with.
• "Life on the Mississippi" by Mark Twain. One of Clemens' less well known books. It is a somewhat true story of his time on the Mississippi as a riverboat pilot and travels later in life. These experiences served as a basis for The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin.
• "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. Great short story about Doc, a marine biology, set in Monterrey, CA during the 1930's. Funny things happen when a group of homeless guys try to throw a party in honor of Doc.

I am currently reading: "Thousand-Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound" by David Rothenberg. So far, it is a good book written by a musician/ philosopher as he tries to understand whale vocalizations from a purely musical stand point. He attempts jam sessions with various kinds of whales. The book comes with an audio CD of his sessions.